LaPierre: NRA members stand behind armed school guards

12/23/12 9:26 AM EST

National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre on Sunday defended his proposal for Congress to approve putting armed guards in every school.

"If it's crazy to call for armed officers in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."

LaPierre made the argument at a Friday press conference that came after a week of near-silence from the NRA following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The reaction to his comments then has included widespread criticism, even from many pro-gun Republicans and conservatives. But LaPierre said Sunday that he was speaking for millions of Americans in suggesting that armed police officers be stationed in schools.

"I said what I honestly thought and ... what hundreds of millions of people all over this country will believe will actually make a difference," he said. "The NRA, we have 11,000 police training instructors, 80,000 police families, we're 4 million members and we set down and we said what can we do will actually make a difference today to make these kids safe."

That solution, he said, is "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."